Category Archives: Inspiration

Motivation … In the Bathroom

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I’m always scribbling down inspiring quotes. You could maybe say they’re something I collect–interesting thoughts, fractions of poems, lines from movies, passages from books, etc. They’re “for later” I guess. I tuck them away and keep them for years. I love going through old files and coming across a quote that meant something to me at that particular time.

In my bathroom hangs a bulletin board. It’s home to a constant rotation of quotes. I read them, and try to memorize them, while I brush my teeth, dry my hair, and well … etc. The quotes change as the seasons of my life change. You could probably learn a lot about what I’m thinking and trying to understand based on the quotes I’m reading.

Here’s what’s on the board now:

  • We know not all that lies ahead of us. We live in a world of uncertainty. For some, there will be great accomplishment. For others, disappointment. For some, much of rejoicing and gladness, good health, and gracious living. For others, perhaps sickness and a measure of sorrow. We do not know. But one thing we do know. Like the Polar Star in the heavens, regardless of wheat the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the World, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith. In sunshine and in shadow we look to Him and He is there to assure and smile upon us. -President Gordon B. Hinckley
  • Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right. -Unknown
  • Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. -Henry David Thoreau
  • We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. -Aristotle
  • Never underestimate the power of a dismissed dream. I think there must be a place inside of us where dreams go to wait their turn. -Sue Monk Kidd
  • Search diligently, pray always and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if you walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another. -Doctrine & Covenants 90:24
  • Don’t be a scrub! Rise to the high ground of spiritual, mental, and physical excellence. You can do it. You may not be a genius. You may be lacking in some skills. But so many of us can do better than we are now doing … We are people with a  present and with a future. Don’t muff your opportunities. Be excellent. -President Gordon B. Hinckley, The Quest for Excellence
  • Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. -2 Nephi 4: 35
  • Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) – there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, no man could have dreamed would have come his way. -W.N. Murray, The Scottish Himalayan Expedition

Tell me: Do you have a favorite quote? If so, what is it?

5 Things That Inspire Me

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1. God

I hesitated to write that first, simply because it may seem cliche, too simple even, or that it would perhaps appear as though I thought I “had” to write it first. But I didn’t let myself walk too far down that line of thinking, because for me, before anything else, there is Him. God is the source of all good things–both in my life and in yours. I know that He breathes in me and lends me life, every day. His unending mercy, love, and light fill me and lift me. If I have any sort of inspired thought or find myself in the midst of creating something lovely, or have a moment where my senses and abilities and understanding peak, I am ever aware that it was from Him–a gift to me.

2. The Earth

Our world takes my breath away. There are times when it’s so beautiful, that I find myself clutching my heart in awe. I’m amazed at the way things cycle and grow and flow in perfect order. The colors knock me over and leave me aching for more. Whenever I write something that I think is worth reading, nine times out of ten, it’s been written after I have been out, close to, and experiencing the Earth.

3. Light

I have always been fascinated with the concept of light. How it bends, reflects, refracts, warms, and fills. How it changes and opens understanding and sight. No matter how awful I was at science or how difficult I found it to pay attention in those classes, when we came to the chapters on light, I was always on the edge of my seat. To even think of light fills me with ideas and wonder.

4. Words

Few things affect me as deeply or as profoundly as words. The way they combine and form into sentences and ideas and stories that have the ability to move and change us is thrilling to me. To understand a word, I mean really understand it–to find out where it came from, and know its root, what it meant originally, what it means now–is like opening a beautifully wrapped package with the most exquisite gift inside. I am at times left speechless (or in tears) by beautiful writing. I feel my soul expand and I clamor to read it again and again. I feel “most like me” when I’m using my words.

5. Love

I love seeing people in love. I love hearing stories of love. I love experiencing acts of love. And not just romantic love, but love in its finest and gentlest and purest form. Where it’s the motivation behind goodness, honesty, kindness, and sincerity. Rarely does it need to be grand. In fact, simple is usually better. But the result is sheer happiness. Love like that motivates me to do more and be more than I am.

Tell me: What inspires you?

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A Broken Piece of Bread & A Thimble Full of Water

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When the sacrament finally made its way to me, I felt as though I needed to grab a handful of bread from the tray and eat it all at once. And when the water came, I wanted to drink a gallon. That’s the only way I can describe the feeling I felt Sunday morning after three days of memorializing my friend. It was a whirlwind of crying and hugging and reminiscing and eulogizing and laughing and crying some more.

The funeral was Friday. The burial Saturday. If I thought any semblance of composure I had left shattered when baby Sarah started crying “mommy!” when the casket was rolled away, I can’t even begin to describe the feeling I felt as the red Tennessee dirt fell, filling the hole in the ground, but breaking a new one in my heart.

It wasn’t supposed to end this way. When you believe in miracles, you’re supposed to get miracles. By Sunday I was drained.

I craved the healing power of Christ’s atonement in the worst way. I needed Him to fix the gaping hole left in my heart, and in my faith. And so yes, I contemplated taking more than my fair share of the bread and water. After all, isn’t that what it’s for?

My heart still questions. My eyes still cry. But life has gone on. It has to, I know. And yet, I want to stop and scream sometimes. “Don’t you know?! Don’t you know that my friend just died? Don’t you realize that while you are worrying about silly, stupid things that a good man just lost his love and three little ones just lost their mother?”

But instead, I bow my head. And I pray. That, just like He fed the 5,000 with a few loaves and fishes, He can fill me with just a broken piece of bread and a thimble full of water.

Wanting to say. Needing to say.

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All the to-dos are accomplished. Bags are packed. Itinerary printed. Security cleared.

And now I wait. For the plane to board. For the group to gather. For the memories, laughter, and tears to mix and flow.

While the reality, and fragility, of life seems to sink in.

All my thoughts seem to epitomize “cliche.” And yet, I still find myself wanting to say, needing to say …

Life is short. Life is precious. Life is a gift. Say I love you. Today. Right now. Hug daily. Forgive quickly. Forget the laundry, and go to lunch with your girlfriends. Get off the phone, get on the floor, and nuzzle your little one. Turn off the TV and talk. Look around. Look up. See the world. See others. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t wake up late. Do the things you want to do. Go to the places you want to go to. Learn the things you want to learn. Become the person you want to become. Be real. Be truthful. Be great. Don’t waste. Don’t wait.

Keeping My Hopes Pinned to the Heavens

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Last Monday I wrote about “Getting Your Hopes Up.” And all week long, I thought about all the things I hope for and how they propel my life forward. But today, while the rain falls, my thoughts are consumed by a friend who is in what feels like a hopeless situation. And I’m mad, and I’m sad, at the realities of mortality that she’s having to face. And I’m frustrated by the fact that it feels hopeless to me to begin with. And I’m thinking, how could I be so cavalier and insensitive with my opinions on how we should all hope way up in the clouds when she is fighting for another day while her hopes of life and love and family are dimming? And I’m thinking, how do you have hope when it really does seem like a situation is hopeless?

But then I think, Krista. You know that nothing is hopeless. You know God watches over all. You know that life doesn’t end at death. And you know that families can be together forever. And you know that love is eternal. You know that.

But even though I know all that, I’m still mad. And I’m still sad. And I still cry. And I don’t know how to not be mad. And I don’t know how to not be sad. And I don’t know how to make the tears stop.

And so today, while I believe that Christ is the author and finisher of my faith, I also need Him to also be the author and finisher of my hope. He has to be. He. Has To. Be. Because I need my hopes for her, the ones that are quickly falling to the ground, to stay in the clouds. Way up in the clouds. And only He can keep them pinned to the heavens. And I need to be able to remember that, although our hopes might get interrupted for a minute–whether by life or by death–honest hopes are always fulfilled. Through Christ, they are all fulfilled.

The Persistence of Nature

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Though dark and hidden

There lies beneath

The hard, unyielding plain

A seed of strength

A source of life

Just waiting for the rain

And though years may pass

And cynics tread

Upon its want and track

The seed will break

And slowly push

Past earth that pushes back

Til it claims its place

And reaches high

Becoming all

It was always meant to be

What Do You Really Want? Reader Response

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It’s a quiet snowy morning here in Utah. The sun is trying to peek through and I for one am whole-heartedly cheering him on. This white world is breathtaking but it’s bitter cold and my bones are shaking.

So this weekend I went through and read again all the comments and emails left on “What Do You Really Want.” It’s inspiring to me, these desires and dreams and hopes that manifest themselves when we step back from what we have.

This question is one I’ve asked myself a lot since I lost my job. What do I really want? And my “problem” isn’t that I can’t think of anything–it’s that the length of my list wraps around the world. But today I want to share your responses:

(I added a little back story on a few of these as I thought doing so would help readers who don’t know the responder understand the weight of the comment)

Rebecca said…I want to live in the country and raise Alpacas~oh, and be skinny…live in the country, be skinny, and raise Alpacas!

Nancy B. said…I want to be in the temple with my husband and every single one of my children and their spouses.

Kaycie Q (my baby sis) said…i want us to be on the beach with our spouses and children…all of them. with matey (our dog) and the parentals. playing baseball, drinking smoothies, and being so tan it’s ridiculous. and talking about life.
Coordination Queen said…That is hard. Because there are so many things that make me happy. But I think at this very moment my dream that I have yet to realize is losing all of this baby weight… thinking about it right now (the process of getting there) doesn’t make me light up, but being there… I think I would burst.

Lori (my mom who lives 3,000 miles away from her 3 daughters) said…Living near all of my children so we could have Sunday dinners…you can cook most of the time :0)…But I would even cook just to have that! Just near enough to be able to hear all that “noise” and to get a hug. I would live anywhere to have that! And then we could make beautiful music together! That’s the music in my soul!

Cristi said…More than anything? To be able to experience a pregnancy – full term with healthy delivery – in this life. BUT … having said that … right now I AM happier than I’ve ever been :) Oh, and losing about 20 lbs would make me happy too. As would producing an album.
(This is my friend Cristi, who has not been able to bear children. She and her husband just adopted their first baby in October.)

Catie said…I really want to grow old and gray. I dream about being cancer-free. It would make me happy to get to see each of my children married in the temple. I think about eternity. I light up when I am with my husband and children laughing, and I hope to light up every day for a very, very long time.
(This is my dear friend Catie, who is fighting her second battle with cancer while being an amazing mother to her three young children. I love you Catie.)

Maryhelen said…Writing, speaking, helping women young and old understand and remember who they really are. And somehow incorporate music into that. And teaching. And nursing. or maybe paramedicine. I do have to add my desire to be skinny to Rebecca’s… someday soon I hope there’s a big fat check mark next to that one!

Heather said…Gosh, Krista is it really lame that I still don’t have an answer for this?! I guess its hard because this isn’t the life that I imagined having. Becoming LDS changes your goals and dreams and I guess I have been so caught up in the everyday life of being a wife and mom that I don’t know what I truly want anymore and that is kinda sad. Of course I want to see all my children and their spouses in the temple and I would love to live on the beach and I would love to grow old with my family surrounding me but right now my biggest wish is for a day to myself to sleep and eat junk food without sharing it and read my 1500 emails and google reader posts. :)
(I met Heather while on my mission in Washington. She joined the LDS church in her early 20s.)

Sara said…I love Heather’s post! The last few days I’ve woken up and thought “what do I really want to do today?” and most of the time it has been 1. eat deliciously fattening fast food 2. either watch a chick flick alone or spend time with girl friends doing something totally self absorbed (like getting a pedicure). But really, that’s not what I REALLY want more than anything. I really want a fantastic relationship with my husband and well adjusted, spiritual, good children. I want all of us to be truly happy because we know who we are and where we’re going. I want to be happy even when life is tough. Because it is tough. Like many other people – I really do want my body to be the way I think it should: skinny! And really, nothing would make me more happy than to raise my kids around all of my siblings, Dustin’s siblings and their kids. The thought of that makes me want to burst. So, if I can remember these overall goals when I drag myself out of bed in the morning I’m sure my days would go much differently!

Annie said…I wish my entire family lived close to one another instead of spread across the country, that our children could grow up together and know each other more than seeing each other once every year or two. And I wish that if we were all close, that all of my friends and my job and my life here stayed with me- just transplanted in a new place. I wish an awful coworker I have would suddenly win the lottery and move far, far, far away and leave me alone! I wish I could have said good bye to an old friend from high school who suddenly died last week at the age of 31 leaving behind his wife and beautiful girls. I wish that I could accomplish everything I need to accomplish in a day without sacrificing sleep. Oh… I could go on and on but I have to go clean up the house before bed! Oh, I’d also like a maid, a masseuse, and a personal chef! :)

Jack’s house said…My life by far is not perfect and there have definitely been trials along the way that I would love to change but at the same time wouldn’t because they have helped to define who I am on the inside and the out. That being said, after having lunch with my husband today, I have realized that there is something that I want more than anything in this world…and that is for my husband to be happy…and right now he just isn’t.
(This is my friend and neighbor Kim. Her baby boy passed away a few years ago. I’m in awe of her.)

Tiffany said…Jack’s house struck a cord with me. Sigh. Don’t know her, but I felt her comment. What do I want more than anything??? That one was tough. There are lots of things that I “want”. Things being the key word there. Part of being human and living in the society we live in I think. But what I really, really want is to grow old and be a grandma. I don’t think it’s going to happen, in fact, thinking that makes me break down into a million pieces and I can’t handle the pain so I DON’T think about it. At least not for very long. But I would love to be healthy and to be old one day. I would give up anything I have to be able to be with my children for a long time.

Jacey said…After reading some of these comments, mine feels a little shallow, but I can own that. I want somebody to like my writing so much that they pay me nicely for it. Or pay me for it, period!
(I don’t think this is shallow at all. I think it’s a worthy goal worth AND you’re totally capable of doing this. In case you wondered what I thought.)

Marie said…babies
(Marie and I grew up together in the South. Her first baby, Olivia, was born still.)

Emily said…Shouldn’t have read everyone else’s because they’re deep . . . honestly, the thing I want most is for my kids to be healthy and safe and grow up to be good guys. When I kneel down to pray that’s first thing I ask for. Scratch that, beg for. So maybe what I need most is to relax and enjoy all I have. What makes me happy? I have a lot of deep-felt gospel answers, but how about I digress and say dancing – gotta do it more these days!

Anonymous said…What I really want is to know that what I’m doing matters. My husband and I are starting the road to becoming foster parents, which is something I feel called to do. Called from deep in my soul. I want to know that my actions on this earth have helped someone, have made their life better. I want to be an old woman, sitting on my porch and watching my grandkids play. I want to not be afraid of death. Actually, that’s the biggest one for me. I want to not be afraid of death. (don’t worry, I don’t have a terminal illness! it’s just that I’ve lost people and questioned my own mortality…)

Anonymous said…I want to be married.

Anonymous said…What do I want most? I want to know that I’m in the right place, doing the right thing. That I’m on the right path to accomplishing my life’s mission.

Is anyone else filled to the brim with understanding and compassion and hope for this group of people who responded? Some of you know each other. Some of you don’t. Some of you are strangers even to me. And your honesty has inspired me.

I want to be more of my true self. I want to dance more (thanks Em!). I want to write more (thanks Jacey!). I want to be more mindful of others and the things they’re going through or have gone through. I want to be more aware of the dreams people around me have and do all I can to help, teach, love, and serve my fellowmen.

Each of us is living a life filled with ups and down, happiness and sorrow, certainty and uncertainty, and when push comes to shove, the things that matter most are people and living a life filled not with “stuff,” but with substance.

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What are your thoughts?

What Do You Really Want?

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What do you really want? More than anything.

What is your dream? The one you haven’t realized yet.

What would make you happy? Happier than you’ve ever been.

What do you think about? When you don’t have other things to think about.

What’s the thing that makes you light up? Like you’re bursting.

No really. I want to know.

An Exercise in Listening

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Writer, journalist, and author Brenda Ueland once said, “Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force.”

Today I stopped to listen.

And when I stopped, this is what I heard …

Stillness is good.
I need more peace in my life.
Less distractions.
Less television.
Less internet.
More time.
More quiet.
Believe.
In God.
In the impressions I feel.
That I’m worthy.
That I’m on the right track.
Let go.
Of the fear.
And the perfection.
It will never be perfect.
Perfection is found in imperfection.
Get up.
Go do something.
Something great.
The thing you were born to do.
You may not know what that is.
But trust the baby steps you’re taking.
Every day.
And that God will lead you.

9 Steps to Acquiring Spiritual Guidance

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How is the challenge going? I hope you are enjoying the peace and understanding that come from daily spiritual study. If you haven’t started yet, or have been “hit and miss”, don’t worry! Today is a new day. Begin again and rededicate yourself to the goal. You can do this.

This weekend I received my November Ensign filled with the talks from October’s Conference. I was beside myself with excitement! Last night I read Elder Richard G. Scott’s talk, “To Acquire Spiritual Guidance.” As he shared a couple of his own experiences with gaining spiritual insight, I noticed certain steps he took in that process. I thought I might outline them here for our benefit.

If you are seeking personal direction in life (I know I am always needing guidance!), perhaps these steps can help you too.

Elder Scott states that, as he felt spiritual revelation came to him, he:
1. sought a private location to recieve it
2. wrote down the feelings that came to his heart and mind
3. pondered the feelings he’d recorded to see if he had accurately expresed them in writing
4. made a few minor changes to what he’d written as a result of his pondering
5. studied the meaning & application of what he’d written in his own life
6. prayed, reviewing with the Lord what he thought he’d been taught by the Spirit
7. felt peace and could then know he had correctly recieved the revelation
8. thanked Heavenly Father for the guidance given
9. asked, “Was there yet more to be given?”

Elder Scott explained that he then recieved more guidance, beautiful insight for his own personal life and situation from Heavenly Father.

He goes on to say, “the Lord, through the Holy Ghost, can speak to your mind and heart. Sometimes the impressions are just general feelings. Sometimes the direction comes so clearly and so unmistakably that it can be written down like spiritual dictation. I bear solemn witness that as you pray with all the fervor of our soul with humility and gratitude, you can learn to be consistently guided by the Holy Spirit in all aspects of your life.”

May we all strive to be guided by the Holy Ghost, who will show us all the things we should do. If we are wondering what to do or where to go in life, this is our answer.

*To read Elder Scott’s talk in its entirety, click here. To watch, click here. To listen, click here.
For other languages, click here.

My Journey Back to Joy: Part VI

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[To read Parts I through V, Click Here.]

In conclusion, I want to now go back to the middle of my story and share how I moved from a life that lacked true joy, to where I am now–that is, living in joy daily.

But I want to ask you again, a third time: Is there anything in your life right now that you’d like to change or have different? Would you like more joy in your life?

If so, “how can we know the way” to do so?

David O. McKay said, “Christ’s divine answer was: ‘I am the way…’ (John 14:5-6). And so He is! He is the source of our comfort, the inspiration of our life, the author of our salvation. If we want to know our relationship to God, we go to Jesus Christ. If we would know the truth of immortality of the soul, we have it exemplified in the Savior’s resurrection…He is the one Perfect Being who ever walked the earth; the sublimest example of nobility; Godlike in nature; perfect in his love; our Redeemer; our Savior; the immaculate Son of our Eternal Father; the Light, the Life, the Way” (David O. McKay, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 2003, 3-4, 5).

And so it is. At both the beginning and the end of my long list of “look what I’ve done Lord to change my life” filled with scripture studies and prayers and charitable works (all of which are certainly so very important to knowing Him and living in joy), there stood One. And it was on my knees, in a simple, humble prayer that I found Him again. I finally realized I would never have enough to give Him. And it was okay. And so I handed Him my my tattered, fraying, sad little life, independent of all the things I thought I needed to do first. Because ultimately, only He could change it. And He did.

Because when I face the wall in front of me, it is He who says, “Thy walls are continually before me” (1 Nephi 21:16).

When I am lonely, it is He who says, “and lo, I am with you, even unto the end” (D&C 105:41).

When I am burdened, it is He who says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:30).

When I wonder which direction to go or choice to make, it is He who says, “Trust in [me] with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge [me], and [I] will direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

When I am seeking greater peace in my home, family, and heart, it is He who says, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (D&C 19:23).

When I am saddened, faced with fear, hurt or illness, it is He who says, “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you” (John 14:18).

When our world swirls around us, it is he who “arises, and rebukes the winds and the sea; until there is calm” (Matt 8: 26).

When I don’t feel strong enough to handle what I’ve been given, or face what is ahead, it is He who is my “strength and [our] song” (1 Nephi 22:2).

When I am out of breath, it is God who “breathed … the breath of life” into Adam (Moses 3:70).

When I feel dead, it is He who said, “I am the life” (John 14:6).

When I want, it is He who says, “Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you” (Matt. 6: 7).

When I feel condemned and ashamed, it is He who says, “neither do I condemn thee” (John 8:11).

When I feel I need to suffer more for my sins, it is He who says, “I have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer” (D&C 19:16).

When I hunger, it is He who says, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:48).

When I thirst, it is He who says, “whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst” (John 4:14).

When the present seems dark, it is He who says, “I am the light” (3 Ne. 18:16).

When I don’t know the way, it is He who says, “I am the way.” (John 14:6).

My friends, it’s not that we choose joy. It’s that we choose Christ. It doesn’t matter what we do to change our lives on our own or how much we tell ourselves to be happy. It is only because of Him that bad things can be good, that sinful things can be wiped clean, that aching things can be healed. That is what a joyful life is … that despite, and most times in spite of hard things, there most certainly can be peace, comfort, strength, joy. For He said, “in this WORLD your joy is not full, but in ME your joy is full.”

My journey was not so much a journey back to joy as it was a journey back to Him. May you seek Him. For you will most certainly find Him. He is there and ever will be.

That is my personal witness.

My Journey Back to Joy: Part V

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[To read Parts I through IV, Click Here]

My “baby” sister recently experienced a heartbreaking end to her engagement. She’s 8 years younger and the most adored gem of our family. When it happened, I felt a surge of love and protection well within me that mixed with memories of my own broken hearts. All of that poured out into a letter that I posted here on my blog.

In writing that letter, I was reminded of the fact that the perfect God of the universe is in perfect control. That certainly doesn’t negate my agency to choose my destiny, but it provides me with an added measure of assurance that He will not steer me wrong. There is joy in knowing that God is in control. I was also reminded that there is joy to be found in the path I’m currently on. All too often, I find myself dreaming about what I want to happen next, or even what I wish the path were like today. And while yes, we must plan and prepare and hope for the future, we must not miss the experience of today.

As I looked forward to speaking in Yuma, I began praying for the women there–praying to know what God needed them to hear. And when I am waiting for an answer from God, I pay special attention to the situations, conversations, and lessons that pop up around me. I look to see what He places in my path. And a message that reoccurred time and time again in the weeks that led up to the conference was this: We can (and must) find joy in womanhood, and especially in motherhood.

At first, I wondered how I, a single woman and mother of no children, could testify, with strength and understanding, of this principle. But after thinking about it (a lot), I came to realize that I am actually perfectly suited for this task. Please know that I am certain motherhood is hard. I realize that it is not all peaches and cream. Sometimes I’m grateful I can give crying babies back to their mothers. But most (all) of the time, there is nothing I ache for more.

To those of you who wish you were “doing something” with your degrees or lives, I’d like to tell you that, as someone who has earned the positions and the promotions, who has earned a dollar or two for her day’s work, who has received awards and praise and pats on the back for a job well done, who has a resume that could get me almost any position in any marketing firm in the country … I would trade every dollar, every award, every pat on the back, every promotion, and every business suit to wipe up a puddle of spilled milk, to wash off spaghetti faces, to find a crayola mural on the freshly painted wall, or to rock a crying baby back to sleep at 2 a.m. Because with all the spills, the messes, the tears, and the sleeplessness, a mother also gets all the kisses (no matter how slobbery they may be), first steps, afternoons baking cookies, Christmas mornings, and sleeping little ones with all their sweetness cradled in her arms.

I hope that those of you who are blessed with children realize what you have. I hope you don’t forget the joy it is to be a mother. I hope that when you finish reading this that you’ll go scoop your babies up and smooch them, and squish them, and love on ‘em. I hope you can find your smile when the temper tantrum happens in the middle of the store. I hope you’ll take a picture when your 4-year-old sticks an entire sheet of stamps to the car window (I did that to my parents). I hope you can laugh when your teenager uses dish soap in the dishwasher and it fills the entire kitchen with a 4-foot wall of bubbles (I did that too). I hope you enjoy those moments! Enjoy what you’re a part of. You are mothers! And you are blessed.

To those of you like me, who don’t have children yet, I hope you will realize (and remember) the divinity that lies within you. I hope you will cultivate a mother’s heart and look forward to the day when you can bear and rear children. I know that there is no greater calling than to be a mother.

And to all of you ladies, I hope that you will ever find the joy that comes from being a woman–a daughter of God. Your worth in the eyes of heaven is beyond comprehension. I plead that you will let that understanding work in you and settle into your soul. And never let the world tell you otherwise.